Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The American Independent Party’s Accidental Popularity
What’s the difference between being an independent voter and a member of the American Independent party? Plus, a conversation with this year’s Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen.
By Madeleine Brand • • 51m ListenThe American Independent Party boasts more registered voters than all other small political parties in California combined. However, a Los Angeles Times investigation found that most of its members joined the ultra-conservative party by mistake. Will that impact California’s presidential primary in June? California Virtual Academies is the state’s largest network of public online charter schools and a new report shows that it is actually run by a for-profit company and is failing its 15,000 K thru 12 students. And in retail news, Sports Chalet will be closing all of its 47 stores. What’s the state of sports equipment retail? Then, a conversation with Viet Thanh Nguyen, who just won this year’s Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his novel, “The Sympathizer.” Finally, Southern California’s latest food fetish: Filipino cuisine.
In this episode
5 storiesThe Accidental Popularity of the American Independent Party
In 1964, Governor George Wallace ran for president as a Democrat. He planned to run again in 1968, but Democrats rejected his segregationist platform; and so a new, ultra-conservative party was created in California to put him on the ballot. It was called the American Independent Party and it still exists.
Read the story9 minCalifornia Virtual Academies: A Model of School Choice or Failure?
Thousands of K-12 students in California go to online schools so that they can learn from home at their own pace, with one-on-one virtual instruction. The state’s largest network of online charter schools is California Virtual Academies, which boasts 15,000 students. They’re public schools, funded by tax dollars.
Read the story9 minSports Chalet Closes Up Shop
After 57 years, Sports Chalet has finally reached its limit. Two years after being acquired by Vestis Retail Group, all 47 of its stores will close. This is the latest sporting goods retailer to meet its demise after Sports Authority closed its doors in March. Is the market for exercise gear and equipment what it used to be?
Read the story10 minPulitzer Prize Winning Novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen
Viet Thanh Nguyen was recently named this year’s Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his novel, “The Sympathizer.” Unlike almost all other American books or films about the Vietnam war, the novel’s main characters are Vietnamese, but the book’s protagonist is not clearly defined. He’s half Vietnamese and half European.
Read the story14 minSouthern California’s latest food fetish: Filipino cuisine
There are 1.5 million Filipino people in California, but the food of the Philippines doesn't seem nearly as ubiquitous as other Asian cuisines like Chinese, Japanese or Korean food. That might be changing. Filipino dishes have been popping up on restaurant menus across LA.
Read the story6 min
